Finding the Correct Swim Cap

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Most people new to the sport of swimming think that swim caps just keep your hair dry, however they very rarely keep your hair dry at all. There are a few reasons to wear a swimming cap, it keeps your hair out of your face, it protects your hair from getting damaged by pool chemicals, and for the competitive swimmer it helps to reduce drag. Swim coaches and spectators like the swim caps so that they can easily spot their swimmers in the water and on the blocks.

Types of Swimming Caps:
Swimming caps come in all kinds of colors and fun designs, but the most important difference between swimming caps is the material.

Latex Caps:

These are the thinnest and cheapest and also the most common types of swimming caps, but also the least comfortable and most fragile. If you are allergic to latex, these are obviously not an a good idea for you. Latex swim caps will pull your hair more than any other type of swim cap. This is why so many people do not like swim caps, because they have only used a latex cap before. The price is the major reason why people still buy the latex swim caps. For around $3 you can purchase a latex cap. Many swim teams choose latex swim caps with their team logo or name. These custom latex swim caps are far less expensive than the alternative, silicone caps. Click here to see more latex caps.

Silicone Caps:

Over the past few years silicone swim caps have emerged as the best option for swimming caps. They are much thicker than latex caps and much more durable. The silicone swim caps are easy to put on without pulling your hair as much and they don’t break as easily as latex caps. They are also more expensive, around $10-15 at sporting goods stores, but you can find them for alotless online. The cheapest I’ve seen them is at djsports.com

Lycra swim caps are made of swimsuit material. The only thing they can do for you is keep your hair out of your face. Some people like them because they are easy to get on but for almost the same price as a silicone cap they only last about a month. This is not a very good investment of your money.